Why we need quiet, introverted leaders

Our culture, particularly in business and politics, seems to be in love with the charismatic leader — the guns blazing, no-holds barred, centre-of-attention leader, who is a super confident if not arrogant, aggressively decisive leader of a band of star-struck followers. This stereotype of a leader appears to be an integral part of our individualistic society, despite that modern economies and societies are now far from individualistic.

Movies, television and the news media have, significantly influenced our popular image of leaders — from Clint Eastwood, to Jim Carey, Larry Ellison, and Donald Trump — for the past three decades. This stereotypical view of charismatic, extroverted individuals, often egocentric and aggressive has been associated with what we want and expect in our leaders.

Extroverted leaders are valued highly regardless of the reality of their performance. The status and reputation of quiet, introverted leadership is undervalued and under-appreciated. Despite decades of research on leadership pointing to other less demonstrative skills that are needed, extroverts are still favored in recruiting and promoting decisions. Yet recent research reveals that introverted, quiet leaders may be more suited for today’s workplace.

You can argue the case that Wall Street financial scandals and even foreign policy and political problems are linked to the dominance of extravorted leaders. In my 20 years of work with senior business leaders, I have found most who got into trouble were extreme extroverts. Rarely did I encounter a highly respected introverted leader who shared the same fate.

Recent research by Francesca Gino of Harvard University and David Hoffman of the University of North Carolina, published in the Academy of Management Journal, shows a significant correlation between the types of leadership style needed and the personalities and behaviour of employees.

They argue that extroverted leadership commands attention: being assertive, bold, talkative and dominant, providing a clear authority, structure and direction. However, pairing extroverted leaders with employees who take the initiative, are more independent and speak out can lead to conflict, while pairing the same type of employees with an introverted leader can be more successful. The study also showed when employees are more proactive, introverted managers lead them to higher profits, whereas where employees are not proactive, extroverted managers are more successful. They concluded that introverted and extroverted leadership styles can be equally effective, but with different kinds of employees.

The researchers reported that whereas just 50% of the general population is extroverted, 96% of managers and executives display such personalities. And the higher you go in a corporate hierarchy, the more likely you are to find highly extroverted individuals.

“Introverts are more receptive to people since they tend to listen more than extroverts,” Gino says. “The fact they are more receptive is due primarily to their ability and willingness to listen carefully to what others have to say without being threatened.”

Frances B. Kahnweiler, author of The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength, offers five key characteristics of introverted leaders:

They think first and talk later. They consider what others have to say, then reflect and respond

They focus on depth not superficiality. They like to dig deeply into issues and ideas before considering new ones.

They exude calm. In times of crisis in particular, they project reassuring, unflappable confidence.

They prefer writing to talking. They are more comfortable with the written word, which helps them formulate the spoken word.

They embrace solitude. They are energized by spending time alone, and often suffer from people exhaustion. They need a retreat, from which they emerge with renewed energy and clarity.

So who are the introverted leaders? Warren Buffett, was one example cited by Nancy Ancowitz, author of Self-Promotion for Introverts, writing in Psychology Today.

Despite our culture being biased against quiet and reserved people, says Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking, “introverts are responsible for some of humanity’s greatest achievements — from Steve Wozniak’s invention of the Apple computer to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. And these introverts did what they did not in spite of their achievements — but because of them.” Neither the theory of relativity nor the epic piece of literature, Paradise Lost, was “dashed off by a party animal.”

Cain argues, that introverts make up one-third to one-half of the population, yet, “our most important institutions including our schools and our workplaces are designed for extroverts.”

One thing is for sure. The workplace is populated by increasing numbers of intelligent, knowledge workers, frequently in self-managing teams, particularly those of Generation Y. Many of these workers don’t see themselves as passive employees waiting for orders nor do they want to be controlled by an egocentric extroverted leader. So the time may be right for us to embrace an introverted leadership style. It’s certainly time to have a better balance in leadership style.

Ray Williams is President of Ray Williams Associates, a company based in Vancouver providing leadership training, executive coaching and professional speaking services. He can be reached at ray@raywilliamsassociates.com

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.